Stink bugs are ruining Virginia's apples

As if you needed another reason to dislike stink bugs: they are ruining Virginia’s apples.

The odorous insects caused $37 million in damage to the 11 varieties grown in the Old Dominion, according to the state Office of the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry.

That’s why the state, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is allowing farmers to spray up to 29,000 acres of crops with certain insecticides until Oct. 15.

Use of the pesticides, which go under the fierce sounding names of Venom Insecticide and Scorpion 35SL, will be largely limited to the central and western parts of Virginia, where most apples are grown. But agricultural officials are worried the stink bug may migrate to Hampton Roads to feast on some of the region’s biggest crops: corn, soybeans and cotton.

A clarification: there are several species of stink bugs commonly found in Virginia. The one is question, the brown marmorated stink bug, has only been here a few years, said Elaine Lidholm, spokeswoman for the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The brown marmorated stink bug is native to Asia. It was first found in the U.S. in 1998 near Allentown, Pa. It has since been spotted as far west as California and it has no known natural predators, according to state officials.